11 Tips to Save You $1000 This Year

The typical American family spends about $2000 per year on their home energy bills, according to U.S. Department of Energy. Families are also spending more on water, too. But these 11 tips can help you save big money this year.

Fix a Leaking Faucet

Fix a Leaking Faucet

A leak of one drop per second can cost $1 per month. While that's not a lot of money, it is terribly wasteful: American Water Works Association calculates that that leak wastes 8.64 gallons of water per day, 259 gallons per month, and more than 3154 gallons each year. Bigger leaks will waste more and cost more.

To test for leaks—including leaks that may not be obvious—turn off all of the faucets in the house. Then record the reading on your water meter. Leave everything off, then check the meter again in a couple of hours. If there's no difference in the reading, great—you don't have any leaks. But any change you see is the amount of water you're wasting via leaks every 2 hours. Buy a faucet repair kit at a home center or hardware store to fix the leak. Most cost less than $10.

Apply Plastic Over Windows

Apply Plastic Over Windows

Covering windows and patio doors with clear plastic stops cold air from coming inside, and it can make a surprising difference if you have drafty windows. Insulator kits come with double-sided tape; you stick it to your window frame, and then stick the plastic covering to the other side of the tape and cut to fit the window. You can use a blow-dryer to eliminate wrinkles in the film, making it nearly invisible. The tape won't harm the finish when you remove it.

If you have windows that never open, such as ones in a two-story foyer, leave them covered year-round to save money in the summer too. The insulation kits cost about $5 to cover two windows. 3M, which manufacturers the kits, says the film can save up to $17 per window during the winter for homes in the North.